International Politics and Economics brochure

Middlebury College

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS AND ECONOMICS PROGRAM

http://www.go.middlebury.edu/ipe

International Poli

CONTACT INFORMATION Robert A. Jones ’59 House Middlebury College 148 Hillcrest Road Middlebury,Vermont 05753 Carolann Davis, Program Coordinator cadavis@middlebury.edu Phone: 802-443-2319 Fax: 802-443-2050 http://www.go.middlebury.edu/ipe (off campus) go/ipe (on campus) Mosaic by Tsevis

itics & Economics

M

ore than ever, the broader world with its complex political dynamics and economic trends beckons students to explore things international. For those interested in the nexus of economics and politics, the International Politics and Economics program is ideal. IP&E is one of Middlebury’s most popular majors—one whose themes and subjects of inquiry are especially relevant in today’s globalized world. IP&E reflects the College’s strong international orientation, extensive foreign language resources, depth in internationally oriented faculty, and commitment to study abroad. International Politics and Economics majors, meanwhile, select a region of the world on which they will focus (Africa, East Asia, Latin America, Middle East, Russia and Eastern Europe, South Asia, Western Europe), as well as a foreign language. During their junior year, they study abroad in the region that corresponds to their language study—typically, in one of the various Schools Abroad the College operates, and sometimes at other foreign institutions. In combination with a regional expertise and language facility, the theoretical and methodological training IP&E provides in two complementary disciplines helps students develop a unique skills set that enables them to understand their world in new ways, and positions them for a number of exciting opportunities post-graduation.

For students especially interested in economics, politics, and the world beyond, welcome to Middlebury’s International Politics and Economics Program.

—Mark Williams Professor, Political Science Director, IP&E

Mission

L

aunched more than two decades ago, the International Politics and Economics Program is a carefully constructed major that provides students the opportunity to study two disciplines as well as areas that cut across traditional departmental and disciplinary lines. Through courses developed and taught by economics and political science faculty, students examine the globalizing world using a variety of conceptual lenses supplied by the social sciences, learn multiple ways of solving problems, and explore areas of inquiry that intersect traditional disciplines. This approach, in combination with the study of languages and the immersion in another culture during study abroad, prepares students for a wide array of opportunities after college, including further study in graduate and professional schools.

IP&E alumni are engaged in careers ranging from investment banking to the Peace Corps, from teaching to government service, and from journalism and public policy, to management consulting.

Nathan William

Photo by Carolann Davis

ms ’10

T

HE INTERNATIONAL

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS PROGRAM has been the ideal arena for me to pursue my interests in both the social sciences and foreign languages. With a concentration in Europe and the French language, I was able to take advantage of Middlebury’s exchange program with one of Europe’s most renowned universities for political science during my junior fall semester in Paris. It was definitely this experience abroad that made my résumé attractive to my summer employer, where I was responsible for translating official documents from various nations in Francophone Africa into English. The interdisciplinary nature of the IP&E major has also allowed me to take a variety of courses focusing on the political and economic perspectives of the environment, which I plan on incorporating into the theme of my senior work. I am eager to see where my studies will take me upon graduation, be it back in my home state of Indiana or many far-flung places abroad.

Melissa Segil ’11

From Uruguay, Melissa eating a churro relleno, a ďŹ lled churro, with dulce de leche. The dulce de leche is deďŹ nitely the best part, and what makes it special to Latin America.

1.5

M

IDDLEBURY’S INTERNATIONAL

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS major was the most attractive feature for me when I was deciding between colleges. While I considered changing majors during my first year at Middlebury, I ultimately stayed with IP&E because it offers both structure and flexibility—I have taken a wide variety of courses, but at the same time focused on very similar themes. Fulfilling the major’s requirements has allowed me to combine my interests in economic development, the political processes that shape both international negotiations and agreements, as well as Latin American culture and Spanish. While people often ask “what are you going to do with your IP&E major,” I feel confident that finding something “to do” will really not ever be a problem; however, deciding between the unlimited options is definitely going to be difficult. While studying abroad in Montevideo, Uruguay, and working in an internship with an environmental NGO, I am finding that there are no limits to how an IP&E major can use her academic skill set and apply it in the “real world.” The IP&E major has supported my academic interests, combining a political and economic mindset with my passion for the environment. An environmental studies minor has been my way of supplementing the major and focusing more intently on the aspects of international relations that interest me most. I think it is also important that IP&E majors learn a language and study abroad; this opportunity is undoubtedly a first step for many in considering new options for their post-graduation lives—options outside of the US that they might not have found otherwise.

Vincent Blais ’1

Photo by Carolann Davis

11

I

came to Middlebury with the intention of being an IP&E major, although I was unsure of which region to pursue. I began studying Chinese my freshman year largely on a whim, ďŹ guring that Middlebury has some of the best Chinese instruction in the world and that I would never have the opportunity to study something like it ever again. I never imagined that the language would have such a huge impact on my studies. Through my study of Chinese, I discovered a previously latent interest in East Asia. As an IP&E major, I have been able to pursue my interest in the region, delving into the dynamic political and economic history and structures that have shaped and continue to shape it. Last summer, I was a Chinese student at the Middlebury Language School. From January through May of 2010, I will be putting my Chinese to use, living and studying in Beijing at the Middlebury School, after which hope to stay in China through the summer months, and interning in ďŹ nance or management consulting in either Hong Kong or Shanghai.

Sasha Rauch-Ke

Photo by Carolann Davis

elly ’12

M

iddlebury’s International Politics and Economics program was a perfect fit for my interests right from the start. Although I enjoyed my economics courses, I did not necessarily want to be an economics major. IP&E has allowed me to incorporate the study of economics and politics of a specific area of the world, with the study of culture. I’ve always had a certain passion for France and French culture, so language training and study abroad in Paris were right up my alley. The opportunity to examine European integration from several different vantage points—and take courses that work parallel to one another—is an added bonus. Nowhere else can you study the political and economic dynamics of different cultures and societies through such in depth and inter-related course offerings.

Tyler Gibson ’11

A

after studying abroad at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, I came to Middlebury as a Feb. Taking an international relations course at St. Andrews sparked my interest in international affairs. By the time I arrived at Middlebury I knew that I wanted to major in IP&E, but I didn’t really know much else. Later, I decided to study Chinese because of China’s emerging importance in international politics and its relationship with the United States. As I studied the language, what began as a limited interest in Chinese-American relations grew into a broader interest in East Asia in general.

After studying at the Middlebury Language School this summer, my interest has almost become an obsession. I currently live in the Chinese House and plan to spend next J-term, spring, and summer in China, studying and then working before I return to Middlebury. After graduation I hope either to work in China, pursue a graduate degree in international relations, or both.

Rohatyn Center for

Photo by Carolann Davis

International Affairs

M

iddlebury provides opportunities for international education beyond the classroom through the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs (RCFIA). An internationally-oriented resource and research center, RCFIA works with a faculty committee and student organizations to create cocurricular programming that enhances international learning for students and supports faculty in their teaching and professional development. Events at RCFIA feature speakers from the business, government, and academic communities, and students and faculty typically continue the conversation over lunch or dinner. Recent speakers have included Bruce Hoffman, P. W. Singer, Sarah Chayes, Anne-Marie Slaughter, Madeline Kunin, Marc Grossman, and Rajiv Chandrasekaran. The Center houses a state-of-the-art “smart” conference room on its third floor, with both Web casting and video conferencing capabilities, so guests can find themselves fielding questions from both a real audience and a virtual audience that spans the globe.

RCFIA also works with the Career Services Office and other campus organizations to expand opportunities for internships and other types of direct experience that give students a sense of how the world looks and works from perspectives other than their own.

Where We Are

N

estled in the Champlain Valley between the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, Middlebury College is ideally situated in a bucolic setting, merely forty minutes away from Vermont’s largest city, Burlington, and fifteen minutes away from the United States’ smallest city, Vergennes. We are a three hour drive south of Montreal and an hour flight from Boston or New York City. Close to many lakes and mountains Middlebury is also the most beautiful spot in New England when Mother Nature turns on her full charm and displays her autumn colors. Middlebury, a very walkable downtown with great restaurants and shops, is the perfect balance between urban and rural.

—Martha Baldwin

ADMISSIONS OFFICE The Emma Willard House 131 South Main Street Middlebury,VT 05753 802-443-3000 802-443-2056 (Fax) admissions@middlebury.edu

STUDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES Meeker House 46 Porter Field Road Middlebury College Middlebury,VT 05753 802-443-5158 802-443-2065 (Fax) studentfinancialservices@middlebury.edu

For more information, visit www.middlebury.edu

Layout/Graphic Design: Carolann Davis